Healthcare visits by smokers: Does cessation treatment differ based on clinical condition?

INTRODUCTION: Persons with behavioral health conditions are disproportionally burdened by their tobacco use. Research is limited on how often this patient population is offered tobacco cessation interventions at healthcare visits. This study examines if cessation treatment offered at healthcare visits differs based on the clinical condition. METHODS: Using data from the 2015-2018 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), we examined tobacco cessation counseling and medications (bupropion, nicotine replacement therapies and varenicline) from 4,590 visits by patients with current tobacco use. Separate multivariate logistic regressions were used to assess whether the odds of receiving tobacco cessation treatment varied by three groups of clinical conditions: (1) substance use disorder and/or alcohol use disorder, (2) depression, and (3) physical conditions. RESULTS: The odds of being offered smoking cessation counseling are 4.02 times greater for visits by patients with substance use disorder and/or alcohol use disorder compared to visits by patients with depression (p<.001), while the odds of receiving smoking cessation medication are 2.36 times greater for visits by patients with depression compared to visits by patients with substance use disorder and/or alcohol use disorder (p<.01). Visits by patients with substance use disorder and/or alcohol use disorder have 2.36 times the odds of receiving any combination of tobacco cessation treatment compared to visits by patients with depression (p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Providers are offering cessation treatment at visits by patients with behavioral health conditions at either higher or comparable rates to those without, however, tobacco cessation treatment continues to be underutilized by providers during office visits. IMPLICATIONS: The results of our study have implications for increasing educational opportunities for healthcare providers to improve their confidence in offering tobacco cessation treatment to patients with behavioral health conditions. These patients are motivated to quit smoking, yet cessation treatment is underutilized in this population despite having a greater health effect than most other clinical interventions. Incorporating tobacco cessation education in medical school curricula and post-graduate training can help eliminate barriers for physicians to routinely provide cessation assistance. Collaboration between clinicians and behavioral health providers can also enhance tobacco treatment support and improve cessation rates.

Characteristics Associated with Low-Value Cancer Screening Among Office-Based Physician Visits by Older Adults in the USA.

BACKGROUND: After a certain age, cancer screening may expose older adults to unnecessary harms with limited benefits and represent inefficient use of health care resources. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the frequency of cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer screening among adults older than US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) age thresholds at which screening is no longer considered routine and to identify physician and patient factors associated with low-value cancer screening. DESIGN: Observational study using pooled cross-sectional data (2011-2016) from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a nationally representative probability sample of US office-based physician visits. PARTICIPANTS: Analyses for cervical and breast cancer screening were limited to visits by women over age 65 (N=37,818) and ages 75 and over (N=19,451), respectively. Analyses for colorectal cancer screening were limited to visits by patients over age 75 (N=31,543). MAIN MEASURES: Cancer screening procedures were coded as low value using USPSTF age thresholds. KEY RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2016, an estimated 509, 507, and 273 thousand potentially low-value Pap smears, mammograms, and colonoscopies/sigmoidoscopies, respectively, were ordered annually. Low-valuecervical cancer screening was less likely to occur for visits with older (vs. younger) patients. Compared to visits by non-HispanicWhite women, low-valuecervical and breast cancer screening was less likely to occur for visits by women whose race/ethnicitywas something other than non-HispanicWhite, non-HispanicBlack, or Hispanic. Obstetrician/gynecologistswere more likely to order low-valuePap smears and mammograms compared to family/generalpractice physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Thousands of cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer screenings at ages beyond routine guideline thresholds occur each year in the USA. Further research is needed to understand whether this pattern represents clinical inertia and resistance to de-adoption of previous screening practices, or whether physicians and/or patients perceive a higher value in these tests than that endorsed by experts writing evidence-based guidelines.

Impact of an Emergency Department-to-Home Transitional Care Intervention on Health Service Use in Medicare Beneficiaries: A Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Hospital-based acute care [emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations] that is preventable with high-quality outpatient care contributes to health care system waste and patient harm. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that an ED-to-home transitional care intervention reduces hospital-based acute care in chronically ill, older ED visitors. RESEARCH DESIGN: Convergent, parallel, mixed-methods design including a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Two diverse Florida EDs. SUBJECTS: Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with chronic illness presenting to the ED. INTERVENTION: The Coleman Care Transition Intervention adapted for ED visitors. MEASURES: The main outcome was hospital-based acute care within 60 days of index ED visit. We also assessed office-based outpatient visits during the same period. RESULTS: The Intervention did not significantly reduce return ED visits or hospitalizations or increase outpatient visits. In those with return ED visits, the Intervention Group was less likely to be hospitalized than the Usual Care Group. Interview themes describe a cycle of hospital-based acute care largely outside patients' control that may be difficult to interrupt with a coaching intervention. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Structural features of the health care system, including lack of access to timely outpatient care, funnel patients into the ED and hospital admission. Reducing hospital-based acute care requires increased focus on the health care system rather than patients' care-seeking decisions.

Service utilization in Medicaid HIV specialty plans versus standard plans among enrollees diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Florida, U.S.A.

In the United States (U.S.), to contain costs many state Medicaid programs offer specialty health insurance plans for costly conditions such as HIV/AIDS. This study compared service utilization between Florida Medicaid enrollees diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in standard Medicaid managed care plans to enrollees in HIV/AIDS specialty plans. We found lower mean utilization among HIV/AIDS enrollees in specialty plans compared to enrollees with HIV/AIDS in standard MMA plans for all services except inpatient which was approximately the same. While fewer emergency visits is a desired outcome, lower rates of other services may indicate suboptimal management of patients or lower engagement in care among enrollees in HIV/AIDS specialty plans. Continuous monitoring of experiences of patients in HIV/AIDS specialty plans is warranted to determine whether the observed utilization patterns represent better management through reductions in low value care or reduced engagement in care, and whether these utilization patterns persist.

The Florida Cohort study: methodology, initial findings and lessons learned from a multisite cohort of people living with HIV in Florida.

In 2013, Florida had the highest rate of new HIV infections and only 56% of persons living with HIV (PLWH) were virally suppressed. In response, we initiated a new HIV cohort in Florida to better understand issues affecting HIV health outcomes. This manuscript will describe the procedures of the Florida Cohort; summarize information regarding enrollment, follow-up, and findings to date; and discuss challenges and lessons learned during the establishment of a multisite cohort of PLWH. Florida Cohort participants were enrolled from eight clinics and community-based organizations geographically diverse counties across Florida. Data were obtained from participant questionnaires, medical records, and state surveillance data. From 2014-2018, 932 PLWH (44% ≥50 years, 64% male, 55% black, 20% Latinx) were enrolled. At baseline, 83% were retained in care and 75% were virally suppressed. Research findings to date have focused on outcomes such as the HIV care continuum, HIV-related comorbidities, alcohol and drug use, and mHealth interventions interest. Strengths included the diversity of the sample and the linkage of participant surveys with existing surveillance data. However, the study had several challenges during planning and follow-up. The lessons learned from this study can be helpful when initiating a new longitudinal cohort study.

The Underuse of STI Prevention Counseling in Primary Care.

Although sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates are increasing in the United States, prevention efforts remain limited. This study examined how often STI prevention counseling is given during primary care office visits using nationally representative data. Sexually transmitted infection prevention counseling occurred in 0.6% of visits and differences by patient race and physician specialty were observed.

Trends in anemia care in non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in the United States (2006-2015).

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to examine overall anemia management trends in non-dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) from 2006 to 2015, and to evaluate the impact of Trial to Reduced Cardiovascular Events with Ananesp Therapy (TREAT)'s study results (October 2009) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s (June 2011) safety warnings and guidelines on the use of ESA therapy in the current treatment of anemia. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of anemia management in CKD patients using Truven MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases was conducted. Monthly rates and types of anemia treatment for post-TREAT and post-FDA safety warning periods were compared to pre-TREAT period. Anemia management included ESA, intravenous iron, and blood transfusion. A time-series analysis using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model and a Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model were used. RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2015, CKD patients were increasingly less likely to be treated with ESAs, more likely to receive intravenous iron supplementation, and blood transfusions. The adjusted probabilities of prescribing ESAs were 31% (odds ratio (OR) = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67-0.71) and 59% (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.40, 0.42) lower in the post-TREAT and post-FDA warning periods compared to pre-TREAT period. The probability of prescribing intravenous iron was increased in the post-FDA warning period (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.03-1.19) although the increase was not statistically significant in the post-TREAT period (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.94-1.12). The probabilities of prescribing blood transfusion during the post-TREAT and post-FDA warning periods increased by 14% (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.06-1.23) and 31% (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.22-1.39), respectively. Similar trends of prescribing ESAs and iron supplementations were observed in commercially insured CKD patients but the use of blood transfusions did not increase. CONCLUSIONS: After the 2011 FDA safety warnings, the use of ESA continued to decrease while the use of iron supplementation continued to increase. The use of blood transfusions increased significantly in Medicare patients while it remained stable in commercially insured patients. Results suggest the TREAT publication had effected treatment of anemia prior to the FDA warning but the FDA warning solidified TREAT's recommendations for anemia treatment for non- dialysis dependent CKD patients.

Key attributes of patient centered medical homes associated with patient activation of diabetes patients.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 24 million Americans are living with diabetes. Patient activation among individuals with diabetes is critical to successful diabetes management. The Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model holds promise for increasing patient activation in managing their health. However, what is not well understood is the extent to which individual components of the PCMH model, such as the quality of physician-patient interactions and organizational features of care, contribute to patient activation. This study's objective is to determine the relative importance of the PCMH constructs or domains to patient activation among individuals living with diabetes. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional analysis of 1253 primary care patients surveyed with type II diabetes. The dependent variable, patient activation, was assessed using the Patient Activation Measure (PAM). Independent variables included 7 PCMH domains- organizational access, integration of care, comprehensive knowledge, office staff helpfulness, communication, interpersonal treatment and trust. Ordered logistic regression was performed to determine whether each PCMH domain was independently associated with patient activation, followed by a final ordered logistic regression that included all the PCMH domains in a single adjusted model. RESULTS: Using the full adjusted model, the odds of patients reporting higher activation scores (PAM) were found to be significant in the domains that represented organizational access (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.31-1.85) and comprehensive knowledge (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.13-1.85). CONCLUSIONS: Many practices have struggled with the challenge to develop fully functional patient-centered medical homes. In an effort to become more patient-centered, this study aimed to address what factors activated diabetic patients to adhere to diabetes management plan. Understanding these factors can help identify PCMH attributes that practices can prioritize and improve upon to assist their patients in improving health outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Study was not a clinical trial; therefore it was not registered.

Sustained Hospital Performance on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey Measures: What Are the Determinants?

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This study examines hospital characteristics associated with sustained superior performance on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) measures. We classified hospitals as sustainers if they remained in the top 25th percentile of overall patient ratings of inpatient experience from 2009 through 2013. We classified hospital characteristics as modifiable or unmodifiable. Modifiable characteristics are operational measures that hospitals can change to improve performance; these characteristics include registered nurse (RN) staffing levels, presence of hospitalists, and level of physician integration. Unmodifiable characteristics are core structural dimensions, such as hospital size and teaching status, that require substantial investment to change, as well as market-level factors such as competition and unemployment rates. Using logistic regression analysis, we found that RN staffing levels, Medicare share of inpatient days, teaching status, and market competition were significant predictors of the likelihood that a given hospital sustained high levels of patient ratings over time (i.e., the likelihood of a hospital being classified as a sustainer). Hospitals with a higher ratio of inpatient days to RN staffing and higher Medicare share of inpatient days had lower odds of being classified as sustainers.

The impact of nurse practitioner regulations on population access to care.

BACKGROUND: By 2025, experts estimate a significant shortage of primary care providers in the United States, and expansion of the nurse practitioner (NP) workforce may reduce this burden. However, barriers imposed by state NP regulations could reduce access to primary care. PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to examine the association between three levels of NP state practice regulation (independent, minimum restrictive, and most restrictive) and the proportion of the population with a greater than 30-min travel time to a primary care provider using geocoding. METHODS: Logistic regression models were conducted to calculate the adjusted odds of having a greater than 30-min drive time. FINDINGS: Compared with the most restrictive NP states, states with independent practice had 19.2% lower odds (p = .001) of a greater than 30-min drive to the closest primary care provider. DISCUSSION: Allowing NPs full autonomy to practice may be a relatively simple policy mechanism for states to improve access to primary care.

A value proposition for early physical therapist management of neck pain: a retrospective cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Neck pain is one of the most common reasons for entry into the healthcare system. Recent increases in healthcare utilization and medical costs have not correlated with improvements in health. Therefore there is a need to identify management strategies for neck pain that are effective for the patient, cost efficient for the payer and provided at the optimal time during an episode of neck pain. METHODS: One thousand five hundred thirty-one patients who underwent physical therapist management with a primary complaint of non-specific neck pain from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2012 were identified from the Rehabilitation Outcomes Management System (ROMS) database at Intermountain Healthcare. Patients reporting duration of symptoms less than 4 weeks were designated as undergoing "early" management and patients with duration of symptoms greater than 4 weeks were designated as receiving "delayed" management. These groups were compared using binary logistic regression to examine odds of achieving Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) on the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Separate generalized linear modeling examined the effect of timing of physical therapist management on the metrics of value and efficiency. RESULTS: Patients who received early physical therapist management had increased odds of achieving MCID on the NDI (aOR = 2.01, 95 % CI 1.57, 2.56) and MCID on the NPRS (aOR = 1.82, 95 % CI 1.42, 2.38), when compared to patients receiving delayed management. Patients who received early management demonstrated the greatest value in decreasing disability with a 2.27 percentage point change in NDI score per 100 dollars, best value in decreasing pain with a 0.38 point change on the NPRS per 100 dollars. Finally, patients receiving early management were managed more efficiently with a 3.44 percentage point change in NDI score per visit and 0.57 point change in NPRS score per visit. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that healthcare systems that provide pathways for patients to receive early physical therapist management of neck pain may realize improved patient outcomes, greater value and higher efficiency in decreasing disability and pain compared to delayed management. Further research is needed to confirm this assertion.

Description of Common Clinical Presentations and Associated Short-Term Physical Therapy Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Neck Pain.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of clinical presentations of neck pain on short-term physical therapy outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of pair-matched groups from a clinical cohort. SETTING: Thirteen outpatient physical therapy clinics in 1 health care system. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=1069) grouped by common clinical presentations of neck pain: nonspecific neck pain (NSNP) with duration <4 weeks; NSNP with duration >4 weeks; neck pain with arm pain; neck pain with headache; and neck pain from whiplash. INTERVENTION: Conservative interventions provided by physical therapists. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Neck Disability Index (NDI) and numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) recorded at the initial and last visits. The main outcome of interest was achieving recovery status on the NDI. Changes in NDI and NPRS were compared between clinical presentation groups. RESULTS: Compared with patients presenting with NSNP >4 weeks, patients with NSNP <4 weeks had increased odds of achieving recovery status on the NDI (P<.0001) and demonstrated the greatest changes in clinical outcomes of pain (P≤.0001) and disability (P≤.0001). Patients with neck pain and arm pain demonstrated an increased odds of achieving recovery status on the NDI (P=.04) compared with patients presenting with NSNP >4 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Treating patients with NSNP within <4 weeks of onset of symptoms may lead to improved clinical outcomes from physical therapy compared with other common clinical presentations.

Opioid prescribing by physicians with and without electronic health records.

BACKGROUND: Physicians in the U.S. are adopting electronic health records (EHRs) at an unprecedented rate. However, little is known about how EHR use relates to physicians' care decisions. Using nationally representative data, we estimated how using practice-based EHRs relates to opioid prescribing in primary care. METHODS: This study analyzed 33,090 visits to primary care physicians (PCPs) in the 2007-2010 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. We used logistic regression to compare opioid prescribing by PCPs with and without EHRs. RESULTS: Thirteen percent of all visits and 33 % of visits for chronic noncancer pain resulted in an opioid prescription. Compared to visits without EHRs, visits to physicians with EHRs had 1.38 times the odds of an opioid prescription (95 % CI, 1.22-1.56). Among visits for chronic noncancer pain, physicians with EHRs had significantly higher odds of an opioid prescription (adj. OR = 1.39; 95 % CI, 1.03-1.88). Chronic pain visits involving electronic clinical notes were also more likely to result in an opioid prescription compared to chronic pain visits without (adj. OR = 1.51; 95 % CI, 1.10-2.05). Chronic pain visits involving electronic test ordering were also more likely to result in an opioid prescription compared to chronic pain visits without (adj. OR = 1.31; 95 % CI, 1.01-1.71). CONCLUSIONS: We found higher levels of opioid prescribing among physicians with EHRs compared to those without. These results highlight the need to better understand how using EHR systems may influence physician prescribing behavior so that EHRs can be designed to reliably guide physicians toward high quality care.

How do high cost-sharing policies for physician care affect total care costs among people with chronic disease?

OBJECTIVE: This study examines whether high cost-sharing in physician care is associated with a differential impact on total care costs by health status. Total care includes physician care, emergency room (ER) visits and inpatient care. BACKGROUND: Since high cost-sharing policies can reduce needed care as well as unneeded care use, it raises the concern whether these policies are a good strategy for controlling costs among chronically ill patients. METHODS: This study used the 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data with a cross-sectional study design. Difference in difference (DID), instrumental variable technique, two-part model, and bootstrap technique were employed to analyze cost data. RESULTS: Chronically ill individuals' probability of reducing any overall care costs was significantly less than healthier individuals (beta = 2.18, p = 0.04), while the integrated DID estimator from split results indicated that going from low cost-sharing to high cost-sharing significantly reduced costs by $12,853.23 more for sick people than for healthy people (95% CI: -$17,582.86, -$8,123.60). CONCLUSIONS: This greater cost reduction in total care among sick people likely resulted from greater cost reduction in physician care, and may have come at the expense of jeopardizing health outcomes by depriving patients of needed care. Thus, these policies would be inappropriate in the short run, and unlikely in the long run to control health plans costs among chronically ill individuals. A generous benefit design with low cost-sharing policies in physician care or primary care is recommended for both health plans and chronically ill individuals, to save costs and protect these enrollees' health status.

Effects of Practice Ownership and Integration of Health Services on Adherence to Diabetes Guidelines.

OBJECTIVE: There has been a trend toward hospital systems and insurers acquiring privately owned physician practices and subsequently converting them into vertically integrated practices. The purpose of this study is to observe whether this change in ownership of a medical practice influences adherence to clinical guidelines for the management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This is an observational study using pooled cross-sectional data (2014-2016 and 2018-2019) from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a nationally representative probability sample of US office-based physician visits. A total of 7499 chronic routine follow ups and preventative care visits to non-integrated (solo and group physician practices) and integrated practices were analyzed to see whether guideline concordant care was provided. Measures included 7 services that are recommended annually for individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes (HbA1c, lipid panel, serum creatinine, depression screening, influenza immunization, foot examination, and BMI). RESULTS: Compared to non-integrated physician practices, vertically integrated practices had higher rates of hemoglobin A1C testing (odds ratio 1.58 [95% CI 1.07-2.33], P < .05), serum creatine testing (odds ratio 1.53 [95% CI 1.02-2.29], P < .05), foot examinations (odds ratio 2.03 [95% CI 0.98-4.22], P = .058), and BMI measuring (odds ratio 1.54 [95% CI 0.99-2.39], P = .054). There was no significant difference in lipid panel testing, depression screenings, or influenza immunizations. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that integrated medical practices have a higher adherence to diabetes practice guidelines than non-integrated practices. However, rates of services provided regardless of ownership were low.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Emergency Department Wait Times for Headache.

Headache is a common complaint of individuals seeking treatment in the emergency department (ED). Because pain is subjective, medical evaluation is susceptible to implicit bias that can lead to disparities in wait times. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are racial and ethnic disparities in ED wait times for headache. Our study used the 2015-2018 National Hospital Ambulatory Care Surveys (NHAMCS), a nationally representative sample of ambulatory care visits to EDs. Our sample consisted of visits made by adults for headaches, which were identified using ICD-10 diagnosis codes and NHAMCS reason for visit codes. There were 12,301,655 ED visits for headache represented by our sample. The mean wait time for headache visits was 38.1 min (95%CI: 31.1, 45.0). The mean wait time for Non-Hispanic White patients, non-Hispanic Black patients, Hispanic patients, and the other race and ethnicity groups were 34.7 min (95%CI: 27.5, 42.0), 46.4 min (95%CI: 26.5, 66.4), 37.9 min (95%CI: 19.4, 56.3), and 21.0 min (95%CI: 6.3, 35.7) respectively. After controlling for patient- and hospital-level covariates, visits by non-Hispanic Black patients had 40% (95%CI: -0.01, 0.81, p = 0.056) longer wait times and visits by Hispanic patients had 39% (95%CI: -0.03, 0.80, p = 0.068) longer wait times than visits by non-Hispanic White patients. While our findings suggest that there may be longer wait times for visits by non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients compared to visits by non-Hispanic White patients, further research is needed to confirm these findings and determine causes of wait times disparities in the ED.

Provision of Pediatric Dental Services by Pediatric Dentists Versus General Dentists: Secondary Dental Analysis of Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine whether visiting only a pediatric dentist (as opposed to visiting only a general dentist) was associated with the provision of preventive dental services for a U.S.-based pediatric population (those 18 years and younger). Methods: This study analyzed pooled Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data from 2018 and 2019 to compare the use of certain preventive dental services (i.e., examination, radiographs, prophylaxis, dental sealant, and fluoride treatment) among those who reported visiting a pediatric dentist versus those who visited a general dentist. Survey procedures were used in Stata 14.0 to perform multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results: Controlling for demographic and insurance variables, children who visited only pediatric dentists had statistically significantly greater odds of receiving radiographs (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] equals 1.22; 95 percent confidence interval [95% CI] equals 1.01 to 1.48; P=0.04), fluoride treatment (AOR equals 1.57; 95% CI equals 1.30 to 1.90; P≤0.001), and sealants (AOR equals 1.63; 95% CI equals 1.24 to 2.16; P=0.001) compared to children who visited only general dentists. There was no statistically significant difference in the provision of periodic examinations and prophylaxis services. Conclusion: Based on the nationally representative data evaluated, pediatric dentists are more likely to provide more optimal preventive services than general dentists (i.e., radiographs, fluoride treatments, and sealants) to children in the United States.

Private equity ownership and nursing home financial performance.

BACKGROUND: Private equity has acquired multiple large nursing home chains within the last few years; by 2009, it owned nearly 1,900 nursing homes. Private equity is said to improve the financial performance of acquired facilities. However, no study has yet examined the financial performance of private equity nursing homes, ergo this study. PURPOSE: The primary purpose of this study is to understand the financial performance of private equity nursing homes and how it compares with other investor-owned facilities. It also seeks to understand the approach favored by private equity to improve financial performance-for instance, whether they prefer to cut costs or maximize revenues or follow a mixed approach. METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Secondary data from Medicare cost reports, the Online Survey, Certification and Reporting, Area Resource File, and Brown University's Long-term Care Focus data set are combined to construct a longitudinal data set for the study period 2000-2007. The final sample is 2,822 observations after eliminating all not-for-profit, independent, and hospital-based facilities. Dependent financial variables consist of operating revenues and costs, operating and total margins, payer mix (census Medicare, census Medicaid, census other), and acuity index. Independent variables primarily reflect private equity ownership. The study was analyzed using ordinary least squares, gamma distribution with log link, logit with binomial family link, and logistic regression. FINDINGS: Private equity nursing homes have higher operating margin as well as total margin; they also report higher operating revenues and costs. No significant differences in payer mix are noted. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Results suggest that private equity delivers superior financial performance compared with other investor-owned nursing homes. However, causes for concern remain particularly with the long-term financial sustainability of these facilities.

Do Medicaid incentive payments boost quality? Florida's direct care staffing adjustment program.

Beginning in April 2000 and continuing for 21 months, Florida's legislature allocated $31.6 million (annualized) to nursing homes through a Medicaid direct care staffing adjustment. Florida's legislature paid the highest incentives to nursing homes with the lowest staffing levels and the greatest percentage of Medicaid residents--the bottom tier of quality. Using Donabedian's structure-process-outcomes framework, this study tracks changes in staffing, wages, process of care, and outcomes. The incentive payments increased staffing and wages in nursing home processes (decreased restraint use and feeding tubes) for the facilities receiving the largest amount of money but had no change on pressure sores or decline in activities of daily living. The group receiving the lowest incentives payment (those highest staffed at baseline) saw significant improvement in two quality measures: pressure sores and decline in activities of daily living. All providers receiving more resources improved on deficiency scores, suggesting more Medicaid spending improves quality of care regardless of total incentive payments.